When the Mountain Stood Quiet
by HoneyMel
Summary: A story on how strangers shape a broken world.
1. Chapter 1

I remember the first time I laid eyes on him. He was a vision for everyone, and although I don't like following the sheep, I could not help but notice him too, but unlike everyone else, I observe every little detail, but did not fall for him.

Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, of the line of Durin, was by far, or at least how far girls from Erebor imagined, the most handsome man in Middle Earth. Although I cannot say the same, I couldn't even say he was the handsomest man in Erebor, but the aura of prince did leave it's mark, maybe it was the manner, so characteristic of royalty, in which he walked, or perhaps his entitled attitude, that others seemed to regard as confident. The only certainty I had at the moment was that, unless you were royalty he would never notice you. The magical ring I had taken from my stepfather was turning my finger into shades of white colors, as if it was losing his blood function and I needed what I came for.

I cannot say I came to Erebor for the purpose of meeting anyone else aside from Bizar Zirak, renowned crafter, to whom my stepfather had already paid a pricy necklace I needed to obtain. Walking with a ring on your finger call for unwanted attention and a strong mithril necklace, enlaced with gold was a perfect solution.

I left home before my stepfather died, he had other children, men who would claim his birthright and I was a lonely child whose mother was dead long ago. I knew my coins wouldn't last forever, but my stepfather said I needed not to worry about finding what I needed, in a way, things would come to me, but I should be wary with desires, dark forces that bring you desires also conjure many misfortunes.

As soon as I got my necklace I would leave, but master Zirak took his time. In the meantime I found out through people in Dale that the great halls of Erebor were opened to feasting and songs every night, for the dwarves rejoiced in their fortune and had plenty to share with their people. Where else would a homeless traveller, as I am, go if not where the feast needed not to be paid with the few coins I possessed. Little did I knew that travelling the path to the festive halls of Erebor would change so much in my life and those I would encounter.


	2. Chapter 2

Bizar Zirak's client workshop was a massive room, filled with glass boxes where he kept all the orders he had finished and were either ready for delivery or for a client to pick up. "What is your name, child?"

"Kayla Brynhild." I answered.

Bizar Zirak walked around the room but my necklace seemed not to be there.

"I know your father, Lord Byrnhild. He wrote a heartwarming letter to me, for the making of this necklace. I assume you'd like to take your mother's necklace as well. He is a very good client. Your brothers armor has been forged here." He had a heartwarming smile on his face, I doubted for moments if I should tell him if my stepfather was dead or not. Perhaps not. I couldn't afford the necklace, but I know it to be paid already. My mother was a second wife, she had some jewels, but the first wife had a jewelry store, so Lord Byrnhild was a very good customer.

"I can imagine. He praises your talent very much." I tried to vague, I'm sure the news hadn't arrived, nor was my stepfather that much newsworthy, sure his sons had already taken over every little big possession he'd ever owned.

"I shall retrieve your necklace, can I offer you a drink while you wait?" It was a question I did not had to answer he was already filling me a glass of strawberry wine. When he left I could peacefully observe all his work, there was such beautiful creations, for lords richer then my stepfather. There was a time my mother dreamed of marrying me to a rich lord, so I could be safe in the world, but the night stars told me a different story. There was a world out there that I wanted to know, lands far beyond the walls of my house, creatures to hunt, others to admire, wandering wizards and magical lands to uncover. I wanted to see it all, even if it cost me the warm quiet life my mother had imagined I'd have, embroidering at night by the fire while my three children were sleeping peacefully in bed.

The door was closed behind, I was trying not to be caught admiring jewelry, so I pretend to be admiring the wine shade by the candle light.

"I never understood why a glass must have stones hewed in it, one cannot admire the color of the wine." I said, wanting to show I knew something of wines.

"Most people don't need to admire the color of what they are drinking." It was not Bizar Zirak's voice. I wanted to turn and face the man speaking to me, but instead I stood there, my back turned. I could hear him serving himself a glass of wine.

"When you spend your life drinking out of these glasses you start to wish for simpler ones, taller, you want to smell the wine before you taste it." I was proud of myself, I knew I sounded like a wine appreciator, but I was merely repeating words my stepfather used to say to my simple mother.

I turned, trying to return to my seat, one of two in the main table. There he was already sitting, Thorin, Prince of Erebor.

"When one becomes accustomed to what one has…" I needed to interrupt. Of all the people I wanted to meet, a widow prince was not one of them.

"Master Zirak is not here. You must await ...perhaps in another room." I swallowed what was left of my wine, sat down in the other chair, with two candles between us and thought that my mother's death was too recent for me to want to speak with someone who had lost a loved one too. He filled my glass and replied, as if I wanted an answer.

"Master Zirak's wine is my favourite. I come here often, he stops taking customers when the feast begins." He fills his glass finishing what was left of the wine.

"Doesn't he scold you in the morning for drinking all of his wine? I'm sure he needs for his customers."

"He doesn't. He is actually quite fond of me." For a moment I questioned my first assumption on this man. He seemed nothing like he appeared, but perhaps, it was the wine shaping his thoughts and words. "Should I assume you ordered a white gem necklace? They seem to make the likings of every woman these days."

"No. I ordered a mythril necklace, enlaced with gold lines."

"A very unusual request."

"I am an unusual person."

"May I ask what brings you here?" Asked the prince. "Aside from the necklace."

"The sword and axe training pit."

"For your brothers?" He asked as he walked up to a closet bringing another jar of wine.

"No. For myself."

He laughed loudly as he poured me and himself more wine. I could swear it could not take so long for Master Zirak to fetch my necklace.

"Why so amused? Dwarf women practise sword and axe, why can't a human? I should say I excel at bow and arrow."

"Ladies prefer to come here for the jewels."

"Ladies are boring women who spend their days shopping for things they don't need to make up for their husbands absence." I should tone down on the husband and wife comments, after all it seemed his marriage was short lived and his deceased wife left him with no children.

"Husbands play a game too, they drink so they don't miss them."

If this was a bedtime story, Master Zirak would've had come into the room, saving me from the awkward silence, but it was not. I had this fear, when the world started to feel too real for me I would freeze.

"Well it has a simple answer, spend more time with your wife, or give her less money to shop." As soon as the words came out of my mouth I felt as bad as they sounded, but I was still pretending I had no idea who he was, therefore a simple apology would suffice.

"I can tell you have no husband of your own. Speaking of what we don't know leads us to simple solutions, it is different when we are in the situation."

"If one is going to marry a man who is never around, what is the point of the marriage." Perhaps I had been harsh in my answer, but yet again, I was not there to make friends.

Thorin filled up a glass and drank it all, standing up he spoke, before he left the room.

"Best of luck for your training, we begin at sunrise, those who are late do not train."

I thought that perhaps staying for a few days would not change my plans, after all, I would need to learn more than to shoot arrows to travel unknown roads.


	3. Chapter 3

The sword and axe training pit was a large arena where dwarves and human trained daily, beginning at sunrise and ending at mid day. It was beyond the city of Dale and most people arrived by horse or pony. Should I tell you that most people mean men? Had this been now I would not dare enter myself for training, but I am glad I was a reckless young woman back then. I had brought my bow and arrow, the only weapon I could wield with no effort, and my stepfather's sword, but it was a bit too heavy for me. It would make a fool of myself with such weapon, but I had no other. I wish I had something more fitting than a girlsh dress robes for ridding that including my green pants under a split skirt dress.

"Ah Lady Brynhild! I am Balin, captain of his majesty's guard. I will initiate you in training, come, this part is far too advanced for you." Said the short, round nosed dwarf, as he led me to the back of the training pit, where several practise targets were. I realized I was to show my skill with the bow and thankfully I did not fail, but he did point out some tricks to improve my self, such as if need to shoot while running or on horse riding.

"Now the shooting practice will be useless on you, but I will find you a riding partner so you can learn a few more tricks. Your sword however...well, it does not fit you."

"It was my father's. It mean a great deal to me."

He gave me a heartwarming smile.

"You know little ladies shouldn't practise here. I know a better place for you to learn. In fact, I am here only with the purpose of taking you to it. You see, I am old, I no longer educate such young minds, but the flame is not yet gone. If you agree to practise inside the castle walls, I shall teach you...and perhaps do something about that sword, it's embarrassing to see you hold it."

I must admit I was trying my best with the sword, but my stepfather had been a huge man, he could manage the sword like it was a feather, but I could not. I looked rather foolish holding such a big sword. When Balin took it from me my embarrassment grew. He could swing it better than me.

The ride back to the castle was an interesting one, not only he said he could melt the sword into something for fitting for my height and arm strength, he said he would do it with no charge.

"There is a place for darrowdams to stay when practising, I can take you to one of the rooms the trainees stay. Standard procedure, men fight in further places and much sooner for the sole purpose of building endurance."

"You have a place only for the women?"

"Not only for the women, for the one who practise inside the castle, the ones who want to learn, but will not join battles, or for those who want to teach, but cannot go far from the castle walls."

Balin seemed like a good man, perhaps dwarfs weren't all gold greedy as they were once described to me. I could see why this man was trusted the the royal guard, he seemed seasoned in battle, but had a caring heart.

"You should ask your handmaidens to collect your things, I shall make accommodations for them as well."

"Forgive Master Balin, but someone like me fails to bring handmaidens on adventures."

Old Balin laughed sincerely amused by my words.

He did not disapointed me when I took a look at my room, I was expecting to share a room with three other girls, but I was surprised I had a room to myself. He told me breakfast would be served in a while, for it was still quite early in the morning, and I kept hoping that I would find Master Zirak and find out what was taking him so long.


	4. Chapter 4

The breakfast table seemed like a feast, for the dwarves had plenty for themselves and their guests, It was no wonder the modern Middle earth saw Erebor as the centre of the world, back in those days, it was the centre of commerce and all things modern, all roads led to Erebor and supplied the world with jewels, armors and toys of the finest fitting.

"You're the new one!" Said a young dwarf who sat next to me. She looked a bit like a boy, but had an exquisite look, she dressed almost the same as I did and she looked wild. "Balin said we were going to have a special guest. I am Daria."

"Kayla."

"What's your art?"

"Travelling…?" We laughed a little until she asked me what I was god at, which was nothing like what she was good at, we agreed we would practise with each other that day, she added that Dwarves had some trouble with bow and arrow, but she could teach me a lot on swords and her favourite, battle axes.

The training grounds were much better than where the men trained, it was gardens, and I enjoyed it much more there, Daria gave me a sword, a little heavy for me, but she explain that heaviness builds strength, at first seems hard, but as we practise more and more daily our arms will grow into it and we wield it with better skill.

The axe was unbearable to wield, too heavy for my skinny arms, and every muscle of my body was hurting, I didn't want to show weakness but I was not accustomed to such endurance practise.

Balin appeared on the grounds with Thorin besides him, I kept training with Daria, who had noticed them and ignored as I have.

"Who is the moody one?"

"The prince, the one every other girl want, but smart girls focus on life objectives instead of lovey dovey moments and do not spend a lifetime in the mines."

"The prince sends women to the mines?" It seemed like a horrific fate for falling for the wrong person.

We paused our training for a moment to grab some water and she explain of the stubbornness of dwarven women when it came to love, some would marry only one and be terribly jealous of what is hers, and so are men, some pursue other objectives, but if a dwarf woman falls in love with someone she cannot have, she prefers to work the mines than to be with love.

"I taken many had fallen for the prince, has he fallen for any?"

"Once." Told me Daria. "He had a wife, but a short lived marriage. He travelled to the Iron Hills for a meeting and she went along. They say the both of them were having a walk about and hounds attacked her, pulling her through miles of land, he followed them, but she was long gone. When they returned her body was burned in a lovely ceremony, but he could barely walk, it took him a while to show himself in court, Balin said his scars would last a lifetime."

"It's sad. I guess a prince cannot work the mines."

"He works the anvil, it seems he is quite skilled on it."

"Why is he here?"

Daria looked at my hand, my ring hand.

"Perhaps he thinks you have something that might interest him."

"Oh dear, I don't think it does anything."

You see, I knew it could facilitate my desires, also it could brings misfortunes, it did not grant wishes, as I thought when I was a silly girl growing up in the north. It does bring a certain amount of protection. My stepfather warned me too much about it, but it only made my desire to have it bigger. He said it could be dangerous for mortals, for sometimes it would control you in a manner you could not understand, but it also gave great things to the bearer, hence the reason I needed a necklace, for when I wear it on a necklace it seems that my mind isn't as dark as when it is on my finger.


	5. Chapter 5

"Lady Brynhild, would you joins us in the garden for the mid-day feast?" Asked Balin as Daria and I walked back inside for a much deserved bath. Thorin stood a couple of steps behind as Balin started to walk with us, awaiting my answer.

"I would enjoy that very much." I answered. "Unfortunately Daria and I had arranged to go horse riding this afternoon."

"Nonsense my child, bring your friend and let us have a merry gathering, I'm sure we could find you an expert rider to take you out and about." I found it quite impossible to resist this man's charms, not sure if it was for his honesty and lack of secret on whatever he spoke to me, or if it was the way he talked to me as I was a member of his family.

They walked away as we reached our room, but it did not took me long to understand that it was no welcoming feast. Thorin failed to look away from the ring I had on my finger when he walked past me. You see, getting away from my story to tell you some lore, before Sauron forged the great rings, he and the elves forged practise rings, that later the elves destroy almost all, leaving only the rings who were given to the elves, the dwarves and men. Practise rings were quite dangerous, unless you knew how to control it and expect to deal with when it controlled you. Sauron did try to steal these rings, but the elves were quicker, unfortunately not faster then some slick hands that took the one I was wearing.

Magical rings have a particular things, in the wrong hands can do all kind sof harm, in the right ones it might attracted other rings, but mine conjured certain things I needed to obtain, Thorin, or someone close to him, must be wearing a ring, you can feel it drawing you near them, lately I had been feeling being drawn to certain places or certain people. Whoever was wearing a ring was nearby and was feeling the same, I only wondered what did the person's ring did.

The Dwarves were suspicious people, but for the reason I knew which (ring on my finger) they were quite pleasant to me. When Daria and I entered the grounds, Thorin sat with King Thrain, they mumbled something with each other, I only wanted someone to point where I could sit, Highborn do bring maiden, but I was not highborn and the maiden now belonged to my stepfather's daughters in law.

Thorin caught my eye and stood up quite quickly coming in our direction, he gave his arm to Daria, who started to melt inside and I could see her future in the mines. To me, he pointed to a little table a bit far from everyone else, under a shade, I walked there and saw there was a spectacular view, I sat down hoping to have someone to join me, perhaps Master Balin was to join me. To my dismay Thorin sat in front of me, causing me to hold myself long enough not to laugh. the poor thing chose very wrong his company. Then it became clear, he wanted only what I had, not me, so I could use this to my advantage.


End file.
